Where to overnight on drive down?

PETE FROM NYC · #1 01-25-2009, 03:46 PM

DW and I are planning to drive down the 2nd half of September, with yours truly being the only driver.We will be leaving NYC in the wee AM hours of a Saturday morning.I would like to do between 600-700 miles that day.
Any recommendations on where to spend Saturday night.We are not looking for anyplace to fancy or expensive,nor are we looking for a roach motel, either.
We are not worried about the return trip because that will be a more leisurely drive with stops at other tourist spots.

Ten of Hearts · #2 01-25-2009, 04:22 PM

See if there's a Holiday Inn Express around where you will be stopping overnight. There are always very good and not too expensive. Best Western possibly... probably avoid Red Roof Inns. But it's the Holiday Inn Express that I would recommend.

gerald72 · #3 01-25-2009, 04:38 PM

I go the whole way from Pa. But more than one person i know stops over night in Savannah, Ga.

Ten of Hearts · #4 01-25-2009, 05:19 PM

The Meeting Street Inn in Savannah is really nice. You'll probably want to make reservations beforehand.

ibelieveindisneymagic · #5 01-25-2009, 08:25 PM

We have stayed twice at the Holiday Inn Express near Charlotte, NC. I think it it officially the "CHARLOTTE-HUNTERSVILLE" hotel, but both times it was clean, the staff are super-friendly and we were quite happy each time.

Speedy1998 · #6 01-25-2009, 08:35 PM

I would recommend surfing the web sites for some of the hotel chains that you like, and looking for locations that they have near the distance that you were thinking about stopping.

Personnally I perfer to push on as far as possible the first day, so that I get to Disney in time for lunch. That way I can nap or lay around the pool and recharge for my first day in the parks.

why4k · #7 01-25-2009, 10:34 PM

I agree with Speedy1998. Go as far as you possibly can the first day. As far as hotels go, I prefer Country Inn and Suites.

kathiep · #8 01-26-2009, 08:32 PM

We usually shoot for getting as close to the GA/FLA border as possible. That way, it's only about 3 or 4 hours the next day. I think in September we stopped at exit 1 in GA and there were plenty of choices. We did a Holiday Inn Express and we completely pleased.

PETE FROM NYC · #9 01-26-2009, 08:39 PM

Thanks for the responses.
I have never done this type of long haul driving before.And being the only driver,I am not sure how far I will be comfortable doing it, especially with my various health problems.About the farthest I have ever done in one day was 450 miles,with no problems,but that was 15-20 years ago before I had problems.I still regularly do trips of 150 or so and it doesn't bother me.

wdwfansince75 · #10 01-27-2009, 08:52 AM

Once you get past the DC area, the drive is quite open. The NC/SC line is about half way....just about 600 miles from the NYC area....Anything past there just makes the second day trip easier. Caution...Do not stop at South of the Border, SC....Ignore the signs that you will start seeing somewhere in Northern VA...

My suggestions:
Consider your preferences....if you just drive, and take what you can get, you will probably get whats left...I suspect your druthers are two queens or a single king....best to reserve those....DW and I prefer Hampton Inn, or others in the Hilton family, such as Hilton Garden Inns...the latter are a bit more upscale...There is a great Hilton Garden Inn, with room service, and an in house resturant at Florence, SC, which is just about 650 miles from NY....Senior rate is about $120 per night....less with AARP or AAA....There are multiple Hampton Inns all along 95.

If you are trying to do the trip on the cheap, stop at any welcome center along 95, get the discount book, and look for the best deal....but you usually get what you pay for....We prefer knowing what we will be getting...plan ahead and put aside the extra money for the enroute accomodations...

Don't know how you drive....If you drive at or above the speed limit, you can average over 60 on 95....so southern SC or even GA can be done in 12 hours for NYC....If you have reservations for further north, you can usually cancel up to 6 PM without penalty....

If you are not members of AAA or of one of the hotel chain clubs...like Hilton Honors...consider joining just for the convenience of making reservations, and peace of mind. I have used my HHonors membership to change reservations without penalty, when our plans change....and our plans almost always change....

We do like the Country Inn and Suites....but there are not as many of them...Holiday Inn Express or Farifield Inns are about the same price, amenities, and quality as Hampton Inn...We have used both chains, and when I traveled a great deal more on business, I also carried memberships in both Holiday Inn and Marriot clubs.

betteratmk · #11 01-27-2009, 09:02 AM

We try to stay in Hampton Inns along the way. The rooms are clean and comfortable and they serve breakfast in the morning. There are several outside of Charlotte on Route 77,one on exit 79,that has a Cracker Barrel nearby,one off exit 17,that has an IHop. There are several in Savannah located near exit 104,there is also a Super Wal-mart there. (route95 for Savannah)

diz_girl · #12 01-27-2009, 04:57 PM

A good rule of thumb is to do 60% of the driving on your first day and 40% on the second. If you leave at 7 a.m. from Queens, you should be able to get to Florence, SC by 8 or 9 p.m., if you're leaving on a weekend. If this is a weekday, leave at 6 a.m. and this should allow you to avoid the morning rush in D.C., just take the NJ Turnpike all the way down to the Delaware memorial bridge, so you'll avoid the Philly morning rush too. My brain doesn't compute wee hours, except for the fact that if you leave at 4 a.m. on a weekday you will not be happy 5 hours like when you're stuck on the Beltway in DC traffic.

Florence has pretty much every hotel you can think of, plus a lot of places to eat. If you leave at 8 a.m., would can be in WDW by 3-4 p.m. and check into your hotel. Another vote for Hampton Inn, although Wingate is also good, but they're in the $120 per night range, so if you're looking to spend less, try a Holiday Inn Express or a Sleep Inn. I always choose a place with interior corridors for security.

nickv1025 · #13 01-31-2009, 09:56 AM

When we drive from CT, we leave early in the morning. More than once, we have stayed at the Best Western in Santee, South Carolina.

Seems to work for us. Not TOO far to drive the next day, but maybe more than you would like.

wdw_bound · #14 02-01-2009, 04:42 PM

If you can make it to Walterboro, SC, there is a very nice Holiday Inn Express just of I-95. DH has family in that area, so we've stayed there several times. Continental Breakfast included. If that's too High-carb for you (I see from other posts you are diabetic), there are other restaurants nearby, including a Cracker Barrel and McDonald's (and several in between).

If you can make it just past Savannah (Richmond Hill exit), there is a LaQuinta that is also quite nice. We've stayed here a couple of times on the way to WDW. Also a full complement of restaurants around that exit.

I second the suggestion to stay away from South of the Border - total tourist trap dive.

Have a great trip!